Railway-traffic-controlling apparatus



mv v s. ALEXANDER 1,785,725

Minin- TRAFFIC com-mums APPARATUS Filed May 17,. 1930 A 1'; 1 J 7 1 E F INVENTORZ V, S. filexander Patented Dec. 23, 1930 devices.

"UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vI NcnNm s. ALEXANDER, or sw'IssvALn, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIeNonv TO THE UNION swrron &. SIGNAL COMPANY, or SWISSVALE, PEN SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION or PENNSYLVANIA RAILWAY-TRAFFIC-CONTROLLING- APPARATUS Application filed May 17,

My invention relates to railway trafiic con trolling apparatus, and particularly to track circuits for the control of trafiic governing One feature of myinvention is theprovislono'f novel and lmproved means for preventing wrong operation of a track relay in the event of failure of a vehicle to maintain a shunt across the track rails while occupy ing the section to which the relay is connected,

1 will describe one form of apparatus embodying my invention, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a dlagrammatic view showing one form of apparatus embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference characters 1 and 1 designate the track rails of a stretch of railway track X, the rail 1 of which isdivided by insulated joints 2 into a plurality of sections herein shown as a first pick-up section'AB, a main or intermediate section C'D, and a second pick-up section EF. A switch S is located between the sections CD and E'F, and connects the track X with, aside track Y, the rail 1' of which is also divided by insulated joints 2 toprovide a single pick-up section GH. A car retarder R is located in the section C-D for decreasing the speed of a car approaching the switch S from the left.

The switch S is moved by an operating mechanism M which is controlled from a rethe rails 1 and 1 adjacent one end of section CD, and is supplied with current from a battery 6 connected acrossthe rails 1 and 1 adjacent the other end of this section. One

" terminal of relay T is constantly connected withrail 1 The other terminal of relay T is attimes connected with the rail 1 through a front contact4 of this relay, and at other times is connected with the rail 1 of both before break contact; that is, they are ar- 1930. Serial No. 453,358. I

ranged so that, when realy T becomes energized, front contact 4 thereof will close before back contact 5 opens and, conversely, when this relay becomes deenergized, back contact 5 will close before front contact 4 opens. The distance between the end B of section AB and the left-hand end of retarder R is sufficient to insure that the rear truck of an eastbound car, that is, of acar moving toward the right as shown in the drawing, will departentirely from section AB before its front truck engages retarder R. Also, the'left-hand end of section EF is located at'a sufiicient distance beyond switch S .to insure that, before the front truck of an eastbound car enters section E-F, the rear truck of the car will pass a point indicated in the drawing by the broken line P, and will so permit switch S to be operated with safety.

I will now assume that section C-D is unoccupied, and that relay T is therefore energized by virtue of a stick circuit which passes from one terminal of battery 6,

through rail 1, front contact 4 of relay T tion of relay T also causes it to close its back contact 5 and to subsequently open its front contact 4. The stick circuit previously traced for relay T through contact 4 is therefore interrupted, and cannotbe reestablished if the wheels of the car should become elevated from the rails of track X by the braking action of retarder R.

The operation of the apparatus for a westbound car is substantially the same as that described for an eastbound car. In this case, relay T will become deenergized when the front truck of a westbound car enters section C D, and'will become reenergized by a piclo up circuit established through back contact 5 'as soon as the front truck of the car enters section AB. It 'will therefore be noted,

thatsections A-B, EF, and G;H are, in effect,pick-up sections for relay T, and consequently need be of a length sufficient only to maintain contact with the wheels. of. the

car until relay T has had time tozoperater From the foregoing, 1t will be apparent that when relay T'is once deenergized by the front truck of a car, it cannot be 'reenergized trolling apparatus embodying my invention,

it is understood. that variouschanges and modifications may be 'made therein within the scopeof the appended claims'without departing from the spirit andscope of my vention, Y, 7

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim is z 1. In combinatiom'a stretch of railway track, onerail of which is divided by insulated joints to form a main section and at least one pick-up section, a track relayhaving a front and a hack contactso adjusted that when the relay becomes energized the back contact does not open until after the front contact hasclosed, one terminal of the windin of said relay being connected with the divided track rail of said main section, means for connectingthe other terminal'with the undivided rail through said front-contact orwith the divided rail of the pickup section through said back contact, and a source of current connected across the un divided rail and the divided rail of the main section.

2. In combination, a stretch of railway track divided into a. plurality of sections, a

traffic governing device for controlling traffic movements. over said stretch, atrack relay, means controlled by said relay for controlling the operation of said governing device, a

' pick-up circuit for'said. relay including a rail of one of said sections and a. back contact "of said relay, and a stick circuit for said relay including a rail of another of said sections and a' front contact of said relay.

3. In combination, a stretch ofrailway track divided into a plurality of sections, a

traffic governing device for controlling traf and 7 deprovided with a make-befo1'ebreak contact device for controlling the operation of-said governing device, a pick-up circuit for; said of another of said sections and a front contact of said contact dGVIC8.

4,111 combination, a stretch of railway trackdivided into two pick sup sections and an intermediate main section, a traflic governing device for controlling traflic movements over said-stretch, a track relay for con 7 trolling the operation of said governing device, a pick-up circuit for said relayincludi'n'g a rail ofone of saidpick-up sections and a back contact of sa d relay, second pick-up circuit for said relay including alrail of the other of said pick-up sect ons, and a stick circuit for said relay including a rail of said intermediate section and a, fi-oritcon tact of said relay.

a 5. In combinatlon a stretch of railway track divided into a main section and a phi rality of pick-up sections, a railway switch-,a track relayhaving a make-before-break contactdevice for controlling the operation of said switch, a pick-up circuitfor said relay including a rail of one. of said piclrup 'sections and a back contact of sa d contact device,'and a stick circuit for said relayincluding a rail of said main section and a front 7 contact of said contact device.

6. In combination, a stretch of railway track dividedinto a pick-up section and an intermediate section, a tra'iiic governing device for controlling traffic movements over said stretch, a relay for controlling the operation of said governing device; and having a front contact and a back contact, said front contact being arranged, to close before said back contact opens and said, back; Contact being arranged to close before said front contacts open, a pick-upcircuit forsaid relay; in cluding one rail of one of said. pick-up sections, the back contact of saidrelay and the same rail of said main section, a stickeircuit for said elay ncluding both rails of said. main section. and thefront Contact of said. relay. V l, In comb nation, a stretch r l y track compris ng a rail. 1 and arail l ndi ded into a plurality of picleup s ctions nd an intermediate section, ates gov rning he vice for controlling raftic movementsover said stretch, a relayfor o trolling the operation of said governing device, and having a front contact and aback contact, said front contact being arranged to close. before said back contact opens and said back contact being arranged to close before said front contacts open, apick-upcircuit fo said rel y cluding the rail 1 of one of said pickup sections, the back Contact of said relay and h fic movements over said stretch, a track relay rail 1 of said main section, and a stick circuit '130 i UK for said relay including rails 1 and 1 of said main section and the front contact of said relay. s v

8.. In combination, a stretch of railway track comprising a rail 1 and a rail 1 divided into tWo pickup sections and an intermediate section, a traflic governing device for controlling traflic movements over said stretch, a relay for controlling the operation of said governing device, and havlng a front contact and a back contact, said front contact being arranged to close before said back contact opens and said back contact being ar- I ranged to close before said front contacts open, two pick-up circuits for said relay each including therail 1 of one of said pick-up sections, the back contact of said relay and the rail 1 of said main section, and a stick circuit for said relay including rails 1 and 1 of said main section and the front contact of said relay.

9. In combination, a stretch of railway track comprising a rail 1 and a rail l divided into two pick-up sections and an intermediate section, a traffic governing device for controlling trafiic movements over said stretch, a relay for controlling the operation of said governing device, and having a front contact and a back contact, said front contact being arranged to close before said back contact opens and said back contact being arranged to close before said front contacts open, a first pick-up circuit for said relay including the rail 1 of one of said pick-up sections, the back contact of said relay-and the rail 1 of said main section, a second pick-up circuit for said relay including the rail 1 of the other of said pick-up sections, the back contact of said relay and the rail 1 of said main section, and a stick circuit for said relay including the rails 1 and 1 of said main section. and the front contact of said relay.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VINCENT S. ALEXANDER. 

